The Rockies, crawling into the second half, can look at their bullpen situation from a couple different angles.

1. Their problems as a team are certainly not exclusive to the relief corps. In going 6-21 since June 16, just four of those losses belong to the bullpen. Colorado’s starting pitching is the true culprit. That is, the starting pitching excluding Jorge De La Rosa. He has four of those six wins.

2. The bullpen, though, is struggling. Rockies relievers have a 5.09 ERA over the past 30 days, second worst in baseball ahead of only Houston. Their SIERA (skill-interactive ERA, a park-independent pitching measure) is 3.91, second worst in baseball ahead of only Toronto.

After the Rockies on Friday turned a 2-1 lead at Pittsburgh (behind De La Rosa) into a 4-2 loss (behind the bullpen), Rockies manager Walt Weiss was asked if it’s time to turn to other relief arms.

Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado broke his finger while sliding into second base during a May 23 game in Atlanta. (Scott Cunningham, Getty Images)

COLORADO SPRINGS — The good news for Rockies fans is that through three Triple-A rehab games, Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado has shown no signs of lingering issues with the left middle finger he broke sliding into second base May 23 at Atlanta. The only hint you might have that he was injured at all is the bright protective brace he wears over his left hand when he gets on base.

The bad news, though, is that he looks like a guy who hasn’t played since May 23.

Arenado, who hit .305 with six home runs in 49 games for the Rockies before his stint on the disabled list, went 1-for-5 with a single and a strikeout for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox Monday night. He’s just 1-for-9 in his past two rehab games after going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in his first game with the club Saturday. Read more…

Boone Logan threw 22 pitches in a one-inning rehab appearance for the Triple-A Sky Sox on Thursday and said he plans to pitch one more rehab game before re-joining the Rockies next week in Washington D.C.

Michael Cuddyer took batting practice in the rain Saturday at Coors Field. But that was about all that improved for the Rockies veteran right fielder. Cuddyer’s injury situation — a left hamstring strain — remains in doubt and now has a ticking timeline.

“You can probably carry a player like that 3-4 days before you make a call,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “He’s still pretty sore. So we’ll have to watch him pretty close the next few days.”

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — Nolan Arenado knows he can’t stay in “the zone” forever, but he hopes his early spring power burst has caught the attention of the Rockies’ decision makers.

The third-base prospect will start his third consecutive game Monday when the Rockies travel to Peoria to face the Mariners. He’s hit two homers over the last two games and has hit three already this spring.

“They are giving me opportunities to get ready for the season, no matter where it’s at,” Arenado said Monday morning. “I feel good and I’m happy I’m getting to play. You want to get as many at-bats as you can during spring training. I just have to take it in and enjoy it.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A few weeks after losing his spot as the Rockies’ first-base coach, Glenallen Hill has been named manager at Triple-A Colorado Springs. He replaces Stu Cole, who was promoted to third-base coach on Walt Weiss’ staff.

Hill will be joined in Triple-A by longtime hitting coach Dave Hajek. The Rockies are in the process of shifting roles and responsibilities in their minor-league system. They will have a director of operations for every team similar to Bill Geivett’s position with the big-league club.

In other coaching news: Doug Linton and Bob Apodaca will serve as minor-league pitching coordinators, working with Mark Wiley. Apodaca, the Rockies former longtime pitching coach, will instruct pitchers at the lower levels of the minor leagues. No Double-A manager has been named, but Duane Espy will remain involved with the Tulsa club, likely in the director of operations role. Mark Strittmatter returns to the Rockies as their roving minor-league catching instructor. Jimmy Johnson has been let go as the roving hitting coach.

Drew Pomeranz continues to inch closer to a return to the big leagues, throwing six no-hit innings last night in the Sky Sox’s 8-2 victory. Pomeranz lost his command briefly in the fifth, but those in attendance said he was regularly topping 91 mph with his velocity. He was sent to Triple-A Colorado Springs to find his old, higher arm slot, while getting more speed on his fastball. Pomeranz walked three and struck out eight, lowering his ERA to 2.61. He threw 103 pitches, 62 strikes.

He had been relying much more on a cutter while in the big leagues this season. The Rockies have talked internally about Pomeranz’s progress, which should at some point lead to him rejoining the Colorado rotation.

As it stands, the Rockies have gone to a four-man rotation because of their youth and ineffectiveness. The starters will be limited to 75 pitches, though that could vary slightly once the team finishes the current 20 games in 20 days stretch.

SCOTTSDALE — Alex White’s bid to make the opening day roster ended today as the right-hander was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

The decision on White leaves Tyler Chatwood, acquired in the Chris Iannetta trade, in position to stick in the bullpen. He pitched a scoreless inning Sunday in his first work as a reliever this spring.

Acquired in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade along with Drew Pomeranz, White struggled before rebounding when he switched to a relief role. He’s likely to resume starting for the Sky Sox, but that decision has not been made. White posted a 6.19 ERA in 16 innings.

LOS ANGELES — Huston Street is back, but not as the Rockies’ closer. Not with the way Rafael Betancourt has been pitching.

“I’m not going to pull the plug on Betancourt right now,’’ said Rockies manager Jim Tracy. “I can’t do that … can’t do it.’’

Street, who went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right triceps, has been activated, along with fellow reliever Matt Lindstrom. The Rockies have optioned J.C. Romero and Josh Roenicke to Triple A Colorado Springs, but Tracy said both would rejoin the team when rosters expand on Sept. 1.

There had been some hope Giambi would re-join the Rockies on Wednesday against the Reds in Cincinnati, but the team instead said he will stay with the Sky Sox through their homestand against the Memphis Redbirds.

It will be Giambi’s first stint with the Sky Sox since 2009, after he was signed as a minor-league free agent. And in just 18 at-bats with Colorado Springs, he collected eight hits and two home runs. He’s been in the big-leagues since then.

The Rockies probably aren’t going to make the playoffs. In fact, most people wouldn’t bother using the word probably.

When you’re eight games under .500 and nine games out of first place in August, you don’t deserve any love. And the Rockies don’t expect any.

“We’re aware of it, believe me,’’ said Rockies manager Jim Tracy. “When we walk in this clubhouse and we deal with some of the heartache we’ve dealt with this year, there are more than just a handful of games (they could have won). You have to move it off to the side and show up again the next day.

Rockies' Esmil Rogers throws in the Coors Field bullpen during rehab before a game against the Brewers on July 14.

The Rockies on Monday added Esmil Rogers back to their roster, taking him off the 15-day disabled list. To make room, Colorado designated left-handed pitcher Eric Stults for assignment back at Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Rogers will be available for Jim Tracy out of the bullpen tonight for a game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Rogers’ return from a strained right lat muscle and a sore shoulder — he was out for 75 games, in which the Rockies went 30-45 — leaves an unclear situation in the Rockies bullpen. His role could go several ways.

PHOENIX — Ian Stewart has fit a lot of descriptions during his virtual decade in the Rockies’ system. Hot prospect, third baseman of the future and potential middle-of-the-order run producer, just to name three.

As we speak, Stewart is something else: an afterthought.

Stewart struck out three times on Thursday against Atlanta and hasn’t started a game since. He’s on the bench today as manager Jim Tracy decided to go with Ty Wigginton at third base.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.